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Hodge - friend or foe?

Hodge (pictured) said: "In recent years the issue of who pays tax and how much they pay has really struck a chord with the public. We want Parliament to continue to play a key role in building and maintaining the fair, sustainable and transparent tax system that is needed to create growth and prosperity both in the UK and internationally."

Now, I'm very much not a fan of Ms Hodge. I mistrusted her motives whilst she was on the PAC and this latest move looks to me like she misses the platform the tax issue gave her and she wants to keep it.

In my personal opinion, it's very much at her door that HMRC is being so deliberately difficult to deal with rather than see some commercial common sense, admit that their (in)action played a part in creating the horrendous liabilities for contractors and offered a sensible settlement rather than the outrageously unfair one we have now.

That said, if the aim to to "create growth and prosperity" on the back of a fair system, is she a voice to be called into action in the draconian imposition - sorry - debate, around revised IR35 rules?

They say that one of the greatest traits in British politics is hypocrisy …..

From the article….. “Hodge (pictured) said: "In recent years the issue of who pays tax and how much they pay has really struck a chord with the public. We want Parliament to continue to play a key role in building and maintaining the fair, sustainable and transparent tax system that is needed to create growth and prosperity both in the UK and internationally."”

Does her family off shore trust in Panama then subsequently Liechtenstein come into scope of her concern about tax avoidance and transparent approach, she didn’t mention this when quizzing HSBC ! Or is that different and all above board free of any conflict of interest and principle !

Perhaps her line of "prosperity both in UK and internationally" implies that is some cases it's ok to do the trust fund thing for certain people.

I’ve lost all faith , I feel now whatever you may think about the degree of hypocrisy , it’s much worse.

The HSBC concern is now all bridge under the water that seems to have come and gone....

I know this comment is not helpful, but the audacity of some of these folk beggars belief, they don't even have the decency to keep a low profile. Labour MP as well, you would think rather than earn money via an off-shore trust (let's assume it's legal tax "managment" in this instance) from her famaily's privately owned steelwork company, she would have campaigned for re-instatement of a nationalised steel industry , not suggesting we have a political debate on nationalised industry , just contemplating the irony of a Labour MP living the dream of Thatcher's Britain, whislt acting as the baseline of principle !

Apologies for the reference to a by-gone era and slight self indulgence, doesn't answer friend or foe question.

Actually I can email Jeremy Corbyn now and see if I can get the question answered on how appropriate this appointment is , right on !

HMRC make alot of mistakes. And yet they can still get powers to empty bank accounts without a court order.

Hodge is a spiteful woman whose hypocrisy holds no bounds!

With the digital new world there is no bounds to the control governments will have. All TAx avoidance is evil, that's the message that has been rammed down the throats of the masses, and who would stop further powers being given to HMRC?